In many circumstances, it is desirable to hang items from a ceiling so that the items do not occupy floor space or to protect the items from being damaged or stolen. In particular, there are many situations where televisions are mounted from the ceiling. For example, Busche, U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,340; Fitts et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,676; Vogels, U.S. Pat. No. D377,897; Boscacci, U.S. Pat. No. D309,562; and Boscacci, U.S. Pat. No. D270,689, which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein, each disclose systems for mounting video monitors or similar objects from ceilings.
The desired level of stability of the monitor may be dependent on the type of information or pictures being displayed on the monitor. For example, when constantly moving or changing images are displayed on the monitor, it can be less important for the mounting bracket to maintain the monitor in a substantially motionless position. However, when the monitor is used for displaying large amounts of text or numbers such as, for example, stock quotes and/or related financial information, it becomes increasingly important for the monitor to be substantially motionless. Moreover, it can be desirable to have visual monitors in operating rooms and other facilities that are mounted such that essentially no motion of the monitor is perceived.
While optimally, the ceiling components to which the mounting bracket is attached would be substantially stationary, the stability of the ceiling components may be affected by external factors such as, for example, people walking, dancing or performing other activities on a level that is above the ceiling. Equipment mounted in the ceiling such as is used for heating, ventilation or air conditioning can also cause vibrations in the ceiling, which may be transmitted to the monitor through the mounting bracket.
Since it is not always possible to sufficiently reinforce the ceiling to prevent vibrations, other solutions have been used to minimize the irritation caused by vibration of the monitor such as selecting a larger monitor that is able to display the text in a larger size or moving the monitor to a different location that is not susceptible to experiencing vibrations. Both of these options are undesirable because they result in increased project costs and/or less desirable aesthetics.